Introduction/Blog

Whats up everyone??
just got a bmw a decided its time to introduce myself. I will use this thread like a diary for my BMW

soo, My name is Mike, 17 years old, still in high school, got a little experience in working on cars but nothing too big but i gotta say im pretty good with tools, that should be enough of me haha been looking around here for the past like 4-5 years so i know whats going on around here.

Now for my car,
1st car for me
2002 BMW 325i
5 speed
luxury package
Steel Gray on black

Got it September 19 with about 73,300 miles. Looked good and ran allright. Had a couple problems but every used car does.











one of the problems ,the biggest one probably, was that it had a rough idle sometime, when i took it for a test drive (about 10-15 miles) it idle rough like once or twice. Didnt really think about it too much, thought clean the TB and it should be good.

However, since i got it I did a couple things.
Oil change
spark plugs



and today cleaned the icv (TB was already clean, i was surprised)



cleaned the ICV and got it freed up. What also surprised me was that i had no crack in the upper and lower boots.(idle still gets rough at times)

When I took out the DISA (its in good condition) one thing concerned me and im pretty sure that its not good. When I looked into the opening where the DISA goes i found this





Its not just sludge. it felt like sand a bit so i took apart the airbox and found this



Now this cant be good

Still got the rough idle. It seems to be more common when the temperature drops. No check engine light. No codes. Dont see any cracks in any of the hoses in the engine bay.
Should i do the fuel filter next?? or something else??

As for customizing it i got a few ides. Dont worry im not going to put 22' chrome "rimz" on it haha
I will be going for OEM+ look
more on that later on. First i gotta get it running right.

still trying to figure out that rough idle that i get sometimes. Unplugged the MAF drove around for a bit and it still was happening.
Seems to occur when im either stopped or slowing down(clutch in or neutral) but i have to drive around for a bit before. On start up the idle is good(hot or cold)
Dont hear any special noises from the engine. Would it be the fuel pump than??

Welcome, but the showroom section would be the most appropriate place for this.

Welcome the forums! I bought a bit of a fixer upper myself so I understand where you're coming from with that.

Honestly though, the rough idle could be anything. I would suggest searching for user "jfoj" and clicking the links in his signature. He has a whole list of things that could be related to the idle. As for inside the intake, mine looked similar and I have no performance issues so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Curious, do you know if anything on the cooling system has been replaced? At that mileage, you're looking at the least a water pump, expansion tank, and thermostat. It's very easy DIY. I'm not a mechanic and I never worked on my previous cars, but these are very easy to work on and the parts aren't that expensive either.

Good luck! Hope you enjoy the car!

Originally Posted by ryannel2003

Welcome the forums! I bought a bit of a fixer upper myself so I understand where you're coming from with that.

Honestly though, the rough idle could be anything. I would suggest searching for user "jfoj" and clicking the links in his signature. He has a whole list of things that could be related to the idle. As for inside the intake, mine looked similar and I have no performance issues so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Curious, do you know if anything on the cooling system has been replaced? At that mileage, you're looking at the least a water pump, expansion tank, and thermostat. It's very easy DIY. I'm not a mechanic and I never worked on my previous cars, but these are very easy to work on and the parts aren't that expensive either.

Listen to this man.

No codes being thrown? If you are slightly decent with computers, wouldn't be a bad idea to grab a blue VAG-COM KKL cable (FTDI chipset) off ebay for $12 and reset adaptations, read out fault memory, etc.

first world country BMWs don't need change fuel filter,waste of $

drive it for few thousand miles and see if you lose oil, if yes, change oil separator

Hey congrats, nice clean car Mike.
Welcome to the forum and it'll be interesting for you to see in a year what has been changed on your car. This forum is addicting.
Nice work so far on the fixes. And yes there are some great threads on diagnosing engine issues as yours.
Before I go may I suggest if you have not already done so, read your Owner's Manual. It's important to know what to do if the Check Engine light, Temp gauge and/or others gauges come on. Driving it after a light or temp gauge goes to the red can cost you a lot of money and headaches. Parts break on our cars but knowing what to do if it happens is key to keeping it from becoming more expensive.
If you don't have the Owner's Manual I can provide it online.

Originally Posted by choxor

Welcome, but the showroom section would be the most appropriate place for this.

I dont think this should be in the showroom since its not only pictures but also a thread about problems and stuff

Originally Posted by ryannel2003

Welcome the forums! I bought a bit of a fixer upper myself so I understand where you're coming from with that.

Honestly though, the rough idle could be anything. I would suggest searching for user "jfoj" and clicking the links in his signature. He has a whole list of things that could be related to the idle. As for inside the intake, mine looked similar and I have no performance issues so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Curious, do you know if anything on the cooling system has been replaced? At that mileage, you're looking at the least a water pump, expansion tank, and thermostat. It's very easy DIY. I'm not a mechanic and I never worked on my previous cars, but these are very easy to work on and the parts aren't that expensive either.

Good luck! Hope you enjoy the car!

Had it for a month and so far love it. Except for a few problems. I dont think any of the cooling parts were changed by the PO. Would any of the cooling parts cause a rough idle? I dont think they would have any relation to eachother. I will look at his write up later on today. The thing is since im a highschool studen money is tight. I dont want to spend money on things that work right right now

Originally Posted by jneumann

Listen to this man.

No codes being thrown? If you are slightly decent with computers, wouldn't be a bad idea to grab a blue VAG-COM KKL cable (FTDI chipset) off ebay for $12 and reset adaptations, read out fault memory, etc.

Originally Posted by MercForHire

first world country BMWs don't need change fuel filter,waste of $

drive it for few thousand miles and see if you lose oil, if yes, change oil separator

A buddy of mine went through 2 fuel filters in the last 4 years on his e36.
No check engine light, no codes. I have a OBDII reader. As for the oil did 600 miles and looks like no oil was taken so far.

Originally Posted by Alex323Ci

Hey congrats, nice clean car Mike.
Welcome to the forum and it'll be interesting for you to see in a year what has been changed on your car. This forum is addicting.
Nice work so far on the fixes. And yes there are some great threads on diagnosing engine issues as yours.
Before I go may I suggest if you have not already done so, read your Owner's Manual. It's important to know what to do if the Check Engine light, Temp gauge and/or others gauges come on. Driving it after a light or temp gauge goes to the red can cost you a lot of money and headaches. Parts break on our cars but knowing what to do if it happens is key to keeping it from becoming more expensive.
If you don't have the Owner's Manual I can provide it online.

Thanks, I got a few plans for it however i want to get it driving spotless first. As for the engine lights, im not new to the car world, however this is my first car, i know a few things what to do incase any of them light up. Might look into it someday maybe i'll learn some new things.

Waiting for something to go wrong with the cooling system isn't a good idea. These cars are very sensitive to that and if you let the water pump or expansion tank go out, the car will overheat requiring a $2500 headgasket job. The expansion tank, thermostat, and water pump are between $200-$300 and are extremely easy DIY's on these cars. I'm not saying it's going to go out tomorrow, but why risk it? Read up around here on the forums. Search user "E46 Mango" and read up on his cooling system threads. He knows his stuff.

Originally Posted by ryannel2003

Waiting for something to go wrong with the cooling system isn't a good idea. These cars are very sensitive to that and if you let the water pump or expansion tank go out, the car will overheat requiring a $2500 headgasket job. The expansion tank, thermostat, and water pump are between $200-$300 and are extremely easy DIY's on these cars. I'm not saying it's going to go out tomorrow, but why risk it? Read up around here on the forums. Search user "E46 Mango" and read up on his cooling system threads. He knows his stuff.

$2500 headgasket job?
323i engine here cost $1000, cheaper to swap it

Originally Posted by ryannel2003

Waiting for something to go wrong with the cooling system isn't a good idea. These cars are very sensitive to that and if you let the water pump or expansion tank go out, the car will overheat requiring a $2500 headgasket job. The expansion tank, thermostat, and water pump are between $200-$300 and are extremely easy DIY's on these cars. I'm not saying it's going to go out tomorrow, but why risk it? Read up around here on the forums.

yes it's a long standing suggestion to do water pump, T-stat and coolant changes as part of 2 year maintenance.
but let's not mistakenly tell someone if their car overheats this means they will have a $2500 headgasket job. that's only if someone continues to drive their car long after all the lights on the dash and Temp lights go on. (seem a lot of us seasoned members are having to make this correction alot lately). this is why i said make sure to read the Owners Manual because it explains this. so if you just shut it off in a timely manner all you'll need to do at the least is replace that failed part and be good.

I've read a lot about bmws overheating. I keep an eye on the temp gauge. If i was to see that it gets to an area where i feel uncomfortable i would shut it down immidietly. To do the pump and thermostat is $300 that i dont have just laying around right now. I'd rather save it and buy something that brakes.

If i was to overheat it to the point it needs a rebuild than might as well swap a s54 into it

Originally Posted by Alex323Ci

yes it's a long standing suggestion to do water pump, T-stat and coolant changes as part of 2 year maintenance.
but let's not mistakenly tell someone if their car overheats this means they will have a $2500 headgasket job. that's only if someone continues to drive their car long after all the lights on the dash and Temp lights go on. (seem a lot of us seasoned members are having to make this correction alot lately). this is why i said make sure to read the Owners Manual because it explains this. so if you just shut it off in a timely manner all you'll need to do at the least is replace that failed part and be good.

That's what I should have posted and when I re-read it again sounded like bad advice.

OP, having extra money to spend on maintenance on these cars is pretty much necessary. I too thought that I could wait until something breaks on my car but every chance I got I went ahead and replaced parts. Fuel pump and filter, water pump, control arms, motor mounts, fan clutch, pulleys, belts, spark plugs, valve cover gasket, p/s flush, 1 ignition coil, etc. All of those parts on my car are brand new and I've had it exactly 6 months today. I would start researching for other things because while these are great cars, they do require a bit of extra attention. Everything I have listed above are things that could (most like would) have gone wrong eventually. I'm all about preventative maintenance.

What would be the best place to buy a fuel filter?? ECSTuning??
and also which fuel filter would you guys recommend?

Mahle... I like pelican fast and cheap but you can go anywhere.. Good luck bud, nice ride

It seems like the rpm get rough when i put it into neutral or pull the clutch in and coast for a bit from like 2500+ rpm.
Im planning on ordering a new fuel filter just have to get some time to do it

general is not your personal blog

Originally Posted by 325inthe510

general is not your personal blog

Why not??? It hasnt been moved yet by the mods

OP I changed my water pump and everything else described for under 200 including pullies, belts etc...not saying that you HAVE to do it now but it is a good preventative maintenance to do, just a suggestion inspect all of the cooling system parts check ring on ET cap if it looks a little big then it might be time...nice car good luck with rough idle

once i get some money that i can just throw around i'll look into preventive maintenance. now i just want to change things if its necessary.

and why was this moved to the "new member introduction" i thought this should be in the general for people to see a "build" of this car and some of the problems that i have described and will as they come on and how i have fixed them which could give them possible ideas